The time had come for our BISS student athletes to showcase their talents in the 2025 Primary FOBISIA Friendly Games. Flagbearers, William Eagle Wang and Lucy Coffin, led us into the stadium under the scorching 34-degree weather with high humidity. Day 1 commenced with athletics and swimming.
In the first athletics event, Valerie Lowback set the standard by running a fantastic 800m. She dominated the first 400m and, after the bell, continued to maintain her lead, finishing with a strong sprint to win by a significant margin over her competitors.
This theme of ‘winning’ carried throughout the athletics schedule. Our exceptional BISS FOBISIA team brought home an impressive tally of 28 golds, 9 silvers and 8 bronzes! Among the many remarkable performances, one highlight was Marcella Vong in the A 800m, who fell heavily at the start of the race but picked herself up to sprint through the field and win. This was an outstanding performance and a wonderful example of resilience in international competition. Additionally, our flag bearer, William Eagle Wang, worked diligently for his gold medal in the A long jump. In a two-man battle, both boys jumped the same distance in their final attempts, resulting in both athletes being awarded gold medals and sharing 1st place on the podium.
Swimming showcased an impressive start for our team, mirroring the success seen in athletics. Both Edwin Tong and Marcella Vong excelled by winning their Individual Medley events, whilst our boys’ and girls’ medley relays also clinched gold medals.
Despite a temporary schedule delay due to a weather warning, the competition continued smoothly. The day concluded with a fun highlight - the ‘tyre’ relay, which added excitement to the event. The collective effort and collaboration of the team were instrumental in our overall success, culminating in a remarkable achievement of 1st place, making us the FOBISIA overall swimming champions! Our final medal tally included 20 gold medals, 14 silver medals and 2 bronze medals.
On Day 2, the T-Ball teams, led by captains William Eagle Wang and Sasha Kusrashvili, faced fierce competition. The A team entered the semi-finals unbeaten but narrowly missed a podium finish, ultimately placing 4th after an impressive performance. The B team also demonstrated strong teamwork and resilience, finishing 4th after a series of highly competitive games. In a particularly intense match, both teams were tied at 16–16 after two innings, requiring a third inning to determine the winner by a single point. Unfortunately, under the intense Thai heat and growing fatigue on both sides, we narrowly lost, securing 4th place overall.
Day 3, the final day of sport, featured our football team. Our girls’ team began their campaign with a strong victory, developing their skill set with each match. Through their victories, the girls made it into the semi-finals. But against tougher opposition, we lost but there were many wins within our fantastic team. Our students left everything on the pitch, exhausted but proud, just outside the medals. This experience served as a significant learning opportunity for all of our athletes, highlighting their determination and sportsmanship.
Meanwhile, the boys’ football team, captained by Isaac Bollard, completed their games with resolve, finishing joint 5th. Although they did not medal, their effort and sportsmanship were commendable. Both teams left with their heads held high.
Despite the impressive number of medals across the athletics and swimming, it is important to emphasise that there are different ways to win. Our students demonstrated resilience, hard work, positive attitudes and exemplary conduct, which were key reasons for our successes.
Team BISS’ 2025 student athletes were our most successful participants in the Primary FOBISIA Games in athletics and swimming.
Results Highlights:
• 1st Place – Athletics Champions
• 1st Place – Swimming Champions
• 4th Place – T-Ball A & B
• 4th Place – Girls Football
• 5th Place – Boys Football
These results reflected the hard work and dedication of our students, who had been training throughout the year. To recognise their success and inspire others across the school, we held a Celebration Parade for them, which was well received by all. The team started in EYFS, then walked through the Years 1–3 corridor, continued through the Year 4 area, and finished in the Years 5–6 corridor. The support from the students outside their classrooms, cheering and clapping for the team as they passed by, created an uplifting atmosphere.
This celebration was not only about recognising those who competed but also about demonstrating to the entire Primary School what can be achieved through dedication, effort and teamwork. Moments like this help build school spirit and motivate all students to get involved, work hard and strive for their own personal bests. The pride displayed during the parade resonated throughout our community, especially influencing our Pre-Nursery students, who witnessed firsthand the achievements of their older peers and were inspired to participate and excel in future events.
A very special thank you to our coaches:
• Mario Castro and Matthew Duignan – Football Coaches
• Janice Lyke – Swimming and T-Ball Coach
• Michelle Parker – Athletics Coach
• Marlon Devonish – Trip Leader, Athletics and T-Ball Coach
We would also like to extend our gratitude to Natasha Manley for her diligent administrative work behind the scenes, which undoubtedly made my role as trip leader run smoothly.
Furthermore, we would like to thank the entire PE team who supported our athletes throughout the year, as well as Ryan King for coaching the girls’ football team and Ilya Blinov for his contributions to the swimming squad.
We are immensely proud of what our students achieved. Our heartfelt thanks also go to all the parents for their unwavering support and encouragement. We also thank our onsite parent representatives, Julie Chu and Grace Hanten, for sharing videos and photos to ensure that those who could not be there were as close to the experience as possible.
Our 24 FOBISIA Champions
Micheal Duran - didn’t attend due to injury
William Eagle Wang
Edwin Tong
Mario Ying
Michael Wang
Kyle Wang
Leon Xu
Sasha Kusrashvili
Sungjae Kim
Isaac Bollard
Dan Chen
Alvin Park
Marcella Vong
Zara Rave
Valerie Lowback
Zoe Zhang
Elle Hitchings
Harper Chen
Clea Hanten
Kelsey Lyke
Lucy Coffin
Bianca Verissimo Lapa Rodrigues
Milla Mi
Ellie Cheng
